Play! Listen! Talk!

What are your hopes and dreams for your Sunday School class?

When most of us were recruited as preschool teachers, we probably thought the job mainly consisted of keeping little ones from hurting themselves (or each other!), providing snacks, singing songs and telling Bible stories. And it’s true that all those things are part of playing, listening and talking with young children.

But it’s good to be reminded that our vision for Sunday School is more than just getting through the curriculum lesson plan. If you are like me, you want to feel that you are making a significant difference in the lives of young children. We’re all busy (and this time of year, busier than ever!). So as busy people, when we choose to spend time in ministry to children, we want to know that our time is well spent.

How does ministry happen? It happens when kids are eager to act out a Bible story. I know that the combination of words and actions is a great way to make a Bible story stick. It happens when two girls both try to sit on the same chair at the same time, and we have to stop and talk about what to do so we can follow today’s Bible verse: “Love your neighbor.” It happens when a child whispers, “Teacher, you pray for me” because he is just learning how to talk to God himself. Ministry happens when you least expect it.

I want to be a teacher with a vision for ministry—not only for myself as the teacher, but also for each child. Will you join me in seeing the most active, the most difficult or the most withdrawn child, not as a problem to be overcome, but as a person to be loved into God’s family?

What makes you laugh? A good joke? A funny story?

Today was made for laughing—at least in our Sunday School class! It started during the Bible story when we imitated Abraham and Sarah’s laughter as they heard God’s surprising promise of a son. There wasn’t a child who didn’t want to give a hearty laugh. The giggles and smiles continued during the puppet script when Skitter set us all to laughing, too! And then during our Talk to Learn game, kids were laughing, even when nothing funny happened. They laughed just for fun! (Don’t you wish you were a kid again?)

Have you noticed that a child’s laughter is irrepressible? Who can resist joining in? Not me! And really, what a great way to celebrate and remember the evidence of God’s promise-keeping. He did what seemed impossible when He sent baby Isaac to be born. What a wonderful way to anticipate and be ready to celebrate when God’s promises come true in our own lives! What promise will He keep in your life today? You can laugh for the sheer joy of it!

Do you find yourself choosing the same sort of activities each week in Sunday School? I do. So today I pushed myself outside my comfort zone to try one of the game activities. It’s not that I don’t think kids like games, or that I don’t like games myself. But in our class, there are some younger kids who really function best when they are on their own, rather than participating in group activities. So I usually choose blocks or art.

But today, I decided to give something new a try. Right at the end of our Play to Learn time, I said, “Finish up what you are working on, because we are going to play a game—kind of like Musical Chairs.” Immediately, kids cleaned up and quickly helped me gather chairs (enough for everyone so no one would get out) and we began our game. What fun! The youngest kids followed right along with the older ones. And it was a perfect opportunity to talk about the Bible verse “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” because for each round there was always at least one child who couldn’t find an empty chair. The rest pointed and called out, full of concern that each child find a chair to sit on. We ended up walking, marching, swinging arms, walking backwards, singing—each round was an adventure! (Even better, it was wonderful for getting wiggles out before our quieter Listen to Learn time!)

For each of us the comfort zone is different. What’s your comfort zone? And how might you be able to step outside of it so that the kids in your class can grow and learn in new ways?

The attention of every child who came into our classroom today was drawn to the fun nature play activity. After all, what preschooler wouldn’t want to create a desert scene with such touchable items as oddly-shaped twigs, interesting leaves, soft sand and rough burlap? We had lots of fun playing and talking about the way in which Abraham obeyed God as he traveled to a new home. In some classes there are kids (and teachers!) who don’t want to get their fingers sticky with glue. But not these kids!

I’ve noticed that every class of kids seems to have their own favorite activities. This year, for example, we’ve noticed that rarely do the kids want to play with the dishes in our little kitchen corner. By contrast, each week last year we had pretend cooks and chefs and moms and dads galore—all enjoying the play with toy dishes and food. It’s one reason I’m so glad for the variety of play activities from which to choose in our curriculum. My co-teacher and I can easily find attention-getting activities that work for each group of kids.

There’s something else I’ve noticed about getting kids’ attention, however. When a teacher is enjoying the play right there at the table or on the floor, even a not-so-favorite activity draws a child’s interest. With the busy lives that even preschoolers and their families lead, an adult’s focused attention is so valuable to a young child.

Your attention—whether it’s keeping track of the favorite activities of the kids in your class, or whether it’s taking the time to play, listen and talk with each individual child—your attention will get your kids’ attention!

Got change taking place in your life? I certainly do! So the words of preparation in my teacher’s guide seemed to have been written just for me: “What changes are you facing in your own life? How can you respond to these changes with thankfulness and joyful worship?” These were two questions in the Teacher Challenge for last Sunday’s lesson. Noah’s life was the example of someone who responded to change by being faithful to God’s call and by thanking God for His love and protection.

Those two questions stuck with me before and after Sunday because I’m the first to admit that I don’t always respond positively to change in my life. Recognizing that change is taking place most often produces worry about future uncertainties. But in the middle of those feelings, the words in the Teacher Challenge gave me hope: “Change is one way God gently reminds us that He is the One we must depend on—because He does not change.” I can live with that! It’s impossible to know the results that changes will bring, but I can know for certain that God will be with me.

As I play, listen and talk with kids, their parents and my co-teachers, and in the middle of all the blocks, games, puppets and more, the promise of God’s presence is what I want to be ready to share with them.

What I learned today: Don’t give in to the temptation to skip over the teacher preparation. Even when you've had a busy week. Even when your To Do List is very long. Ask God to speak to you, so that you are better prepared to speak to others.

Where does God live? Does He live at church? Today I heard the story of a group of preschoolers who went for a walk with their teacher. As they passed the front door to the church, the teacher said, “This is the door to God’s House.” One little girl in the group was quick to ask, “Is God at home, or is He at work?”

I’m not sure what the teacher said to answer the little girl’s question, but I do know that with preschoolers, it’s always a good idea to think about how words and ideas we understand as adults can be misunderstood by little children who think literally.

And then there are all the other comments that found their way into our class today:
“Let’s find out who is the oldest in our class today!” spoken by the boy who is the oldest, and proud of it!
“I lost three teeth this week!”
“I had pizza for breakfast because today is opposite day: dinner for breakfast and breakfast for lunch!”

So many children, all talking about so many different things and each needing to be valued and cared for. It fit with our Bible verse “Whatever you do, do your work for the Lord” (see Colossians 3:23). After today’s class, here’s my paraphrase, written especially for teachers of preschoolers: “Whatever you talk about, as you show your love for each child, you show your love for the Lord.”

A few weeks ago, when I arrived for Sunday School, I heard a loud “thump” against the window of my classroom. As the thumps continued, I was puzzled. What was that sound? Soon I realized that a small bird had flown into the classroom and was now desperately trying to escape by repeatedly flying into the window. That morning the job of “bird catcher” was a surprising part of my job as a teacher!

Every week there’s a variety of jobs that go along with being a teacher, but what’s your favorite part? The big hug you get as children arrive in the morning? The smiles on parents’ faces when they come to see and hear what their children have discovered about God? The joy in a child’s face as he creates zebra stripes on paper, or loads as many animals as possible up the cardboard ramp and into a big block Noah’s ark?

How fun to get to play, listen and talk with kids about God! When you are tempted to think of your job as just a craft leader, or just a play supervisor—or even a bird catcher—remember that God takes all of your efforts—even on the Sundays when things don’t go as planned—and uses them to reach out to the children He loves!